Updated 11:15 am, Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Midland’s Craig Finkbeiner has had a lifelong dream to compete in the Ironman World Championship, and his quest to get to next October’s event in Kona, Hawaii, is very personal.

As a multiple myeloma cancer patient for almost nine years, Finkbeiner, 57, has attacked that disease on two fronts — with more than 75 cycles of chemotherapy, and by raising funds for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation through his triathlons and other competitions.

“(Multiple myeloma research) is kind of a rare instance where I think the research, the fundraising, and the science (are) all coming together,” Finkbeiner told the Daily News in a phone interview on Saturday. “This really is working, and there’s a pretty good chance they may find a cure for (multiple myeloma) sometime soon. They’ve made amazing strides in the past six or seven years, and they’re pretty close. I think (the MMRF) is the leader in getting this research done. It’s an amazing thing, and I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

Finkbeiner has already raised well over $10,000 for the foundation, and now he is looking to add a lot more to that total.

Finkbeiner, a retired controls engineer with Merrill Tool, will be taking part in the Ironman 70.3 (Half Ironman) in Tempe, Ariz., on Sunday, October 18 of this year, and is hoping to raise at least $20,000 for the MMRF before the deadline of October 17.

If Finkbeiner reaches that goal, not only will he have aided the foundation in a big way, but that would also qualify him for a chance to earn a charity entry into next year’s World Championship.

So, the purpose of the fundraising effort is twofold: to help Finkbeiner experience a lifelong dream, and to help raise money for cancer research and for the foundation that he says is the reason he is alive today.

Finkbeiner’s dream of competing in the Ironman World Championship is shared by Penny Finkbeiner, his wife of 34 years.

“He’s always wanted to do this,” said Penny. “I would love to see his dream come true. If he can’t, he can’t, but we’re going to try. I’m not giving up on trying.”

“If it weren’t for (the MMRF), he wouldn’t be here, so that’s why he really wants to pay it back,” she said. “Even if he got sick and couldn’t race (at the World Championship), it will still help people because it’s raising money for people with multiple myeloma.”

As of Monday afternoon, Finkbeiner had raised $3,066 toward his $20,000 goal.

Those who are interested in helping Finkbeiner reach his goal can make a donation on the webpage for his fundraising effort at www.tinyurl.com/craig2kona.

Additionally, the Freeland SportsZone will be hosting a Tri Challenge this Saturday beginning at 7:30 a.m. For a $10 cash donation, participants will take part in a 45-minute spin, a 45-minute power pump, and a two-mile run. All donations will go to Finkbeiner’s fundraising for the MMRF. Donors do not have to participate in the events.

An avid runner, Finkbeiner did not let his disease stop him from doing what he loved, and after his diagnosis, he gradually trained until he could run marathons.

However, when his doctors expressed concern that so much running would harm his bones, Finkbeiner began to focus on triathlons.

“I have to be careful because the disease affects my bones,” Finkbeiner said. “There are limits to how much I can run. So I started swimming and bicycling (in order) to not put so much stress on my bones.”

About one year after his diagnosis, Finkbeiner took part in the annual Sanford and Sun Triathlon, and from there he was hooked on triathlons.

“I had a blast,” he said. “It was a fantastic time. (Triathlons are) not just for professionals — it’s something anybody can do.”

Finkbeiner pointed out that his triathlon training has helped him in his fight against multiple myeloma.

“People might think (because) I’m doing an Ironman, I can’t be very sick. But the opposite is true. I have a very serious disease, and a very serious case of this disease. The only reason I can do this is because the exercise keeps me strong and able to withstand the treatments. I’d never be here without the treatments and the exercise.”

In July of this year, Finkbeiner completed his second Ironman, the Lake Placid Ironman in Lake Placid, N.Y. He was one of 109 team members who participated in support of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. The effort resulted in over $900,000 being raised for the MMRF.

An Ironman is a grueling triathlon in which competitors have 17 hours to finish a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run, or marathon.

Finkbeiner finished the race with only about 20 minutes to spare before the 17-hour deadline.

“I was amazed more than anything,” he said of his feeling upon reaching the finish line. “That was a very tough race, and it was near the limits of my ability, but I had a really good day and everything went well. I had fantastic support ... My family, my kids and my grandkids were there, cheering me on, and that carried me through it.”